adjective · neutral

predictable

/prɪˈdɪktəbl/pre·DICT·able

Band 6-7speakingtask2

Likely to happen or behave in a way that you can expect; not surprising.

Examples

The movie's ending was so predictable I guessed it halfway through.

A predictable schedule helps students plan their study time.

Weather patterns in this region are becoming less predictable.

Band 8 sentence

Given the current policies, a predictable rise in urban commuting is likely as cities expand.

Collocations

  • predictable outcome
  • predictable pattern
  • predictable behaviour

Word family

predict verbprediction nounpredictably adverb

Common mistakes

using 'predictive' instead of 'predictable'predictable

putting 'very' before 'predictable' in contexts where 'unpredictable' intended (e.g. 'very predictable' to mean 'very unexpected')unpredictable

Say it for a higher band

5expected6foreseeable7+predictable

Synonyms

expected

foreseeable

Easily confused

predictive

The study developed a predictive model to estimate future crime rates.

Related words

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In -able / -ible

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